Conduit baseboard



f March 25 1924.

J. BUHR CONDUIT BAS EBOARD Filed March 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Shea?l 1 me/Moz Jacob ll/hr March 25, 1924 J. BUHR CONDUIT BASEBOARD Filed March 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jacob Buhr Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

JACOB BURR, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES WOODWARD, 0F CLEVE- LAND,

OHIO.

coND'UIT nasmoann.

Application led Hai-ch 2,

To all whom it may concer/n:

Be it known that I, JACOB Bonn, an applicant for citizenship of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful nImprovements in a Conduit Baseboard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a conduit baseboard made of sheet metal which is adapted to take the place of wood base-boards on walls and partitions in buildings of all types, but beingjdesigned more particularly for office buildingsv constructed of fire-proof materials. Thus, one object of this invention is to provide a hollow sheet metal baseboard in which the use of screws, bolts, nails, hooks or rivets in the erection thereof isl eliminated. A fu\rther object is to provide simple and efectivemeans as a part of the base-board itself to fasten and anchor it solidly in place on the\wall. A further object is to provide a base-board which is adjustable to accommodate its setting to floor coverings of various thickness. A further object is to so form the base-board of separable interlockin Aparts .that extreme accuracy in assemb ying the parts is not required and slight irregularities in the wall surface or distortion of the parts will not interfere with the interfitting of the parts on assembl 4Other objects will be apparent from t e following description in connection with the annexed drawlngs, in which Fig. 1 is a. perspective view showing a portion of the Walland base-board in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the trough-shaped `backing 4member in place against the wall ready to be forced into locking-engagement with the Wooden base strip. Fig. 3 is afragmentary perspective view of the baseboard face plate, and Fig. 4

is a fragmentary erspectlve view of the backing member. ig. 5 is a horizontal sec- .tion through the base-board and wall, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing a modified form of base-board in place on the wal Fig. 8 is a fra mentary perspective of the modified formo cover plate.

Fig. 9 is perspective view showing a portion of the se arable floor mould. Ishow in tlhe annexed drawings, a wall 11 1922. Serial No. 540,560.

having a wooden strip 2 set therein with its edge ortion projecting outwardly from the face t ereof and forming a base for the plaster 3 which is applied flush with the outer edge of the strip 2. In the gap or space between base strip 2 and the floor 4 is secured a sheet metal conduit 5 which forms ,the backing member of the base-board. This member is formed from a strip of sheet metal of anysuitable length folded lengthwise at intervals. Thus, a bottom portion 6 is bent outwardly at right angles to a main wall or body portion and also upwardly along the outer edge to form a vertical flange 7 adapted to be hook-engaged by a cover plate or strip 17. Member-5 is also folded or bent outwardly at right angles and back u on itself near its middle to form a longltudinal dividing wall or rib B extendin parallel with a horizontal top wall 9 ormed by bending the strip outwardly at right angles and backwardly u on itself for a part of the distance before urther bending it upwardly to provide a vertical flange9 at an 1ntermediate point between therear and, front sides of said member 5. Inasmuch as flange 10 is set forward of the rear face of member 5 a shoulder 11 is provided which is adapted to engagethe bottom face of the wooden strip 2 in wall 1, and an offset portion 12 of flange 10 abuts against the outer Vvertical face of the wooden strip 2. This faces the major portion of flange 10 alpart from the vertical face of strip 2 and t e wall and provides a deep channel or groove adapted to receive the rear flange or hook portion 19 of a separate face plate 17, the upper ed e portion 13 of flange 10 being bent outwar ly at an oblique angle to provide a. wide flaring entrance for the flange receiving groove and to serve as a guide for the cover plate lflange 19. Prongs 14 are struck up to a vertical position at intervals lalon the shoulder portion 11 of sheet metal mem er 5 and these prongs may be a continuation of the flat rear wall o said member. As shown, in Fig. 2 the conduit or backing member 5 is set against wall 1 between the wooden strip 2 and the floor with the bottom portion 6 resting on superposed wedges 15 and 16 and the prongs 14 in engagement with the under side of wooden strip 2. When the wedges 16 are driven in beneath the wedges 15 member 5 is forced upwardly and prongs 14 are forced into thc wooden base strip 2 until the shoulder 11 engages the wooden strip, thereby firmly anchoring the conduit member 5 in position as shown in Fig. 1. Member 5 can also be readily removed at any time desired by Aremoving the wedges 15 and 16 and pushing it downwardly until the prongs 14 are free.

Face plate 17 of the base-board consists of a strip of sheet metal having its upper edge portion bent to form a crown mould 18 of any desired contour, and terminating in a downturned flange 19 adapted to fit in the groove between Wall strip 2 and flange 10 of the backing member. As shown 1n Fig. 1 yface plate 17 may yextend on straight lines downwardly to the floor and be doubled back upon itself, to provide a portion 20 lying flat against the' back of the plate, and a flange rtion 21 turned rearwardly and downwar ly to form a groove 22 adapted to receive the vertical flange 7 at the front f side of bottom 6. The lower edge 23 of flange portion 21 is bent obliquely to form a flaring entrance to groove 22 so that the flange 7 is easily guided thereinto. Asshown in Fig.v 3 the lower edge of the face plate may be offset from the body of the plate and shaped to provide a floor mould 24 of the desired contour. When face plate 17 is secured in place with its flange 19 behind flange 10 and the flange 7 of the back ing member extending into roove 22 on the plate, the plate 17 'is firmly eld against the flange 7 yand the front edges of walls 8 and 9 of member 5. The groove 22 which receives flange 7 and the groove behind flange 10 are made relatively deep so that face plate 17 can be adjusted vertically in respect to member 5 and thereby accommodate floor coverings of different thicknesses. If desired, conduit member 5 can also be set at different elevations b' vcausing the prongs 14 to enter only partial y into wooden strip 2, thus permitting a somewhat greater range of ad'ustment downward for the face plate 17. s shown in Fig. 1 the end portions of the base board are bent to provide right angled corners, suitable miters or cuts being f made in the flanges, moulds and ribs. A filler plate 25 for the crown mould 18 maybe secured thereto Where mitered at the corner.

However, these corners may be separate sections of the base board.

The dividing wall 8 of conduit member 5 separates the hollow base board into upper In the modification shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the conduit member 5 is exactly the same as above described, except that the flange 7 corresponding to the flange 7, is set somewhat farther toward the front and has its upper portion 27 offset inwardl and the upper edge 28 thereof bent outwar l at an oblique angle. The face plate 29 a so yhas a different shaped crown-mould portion 30 at its upper edge and a downturned flange 31 corresponding to the flange 19 on the face plate 17, while its lower edge 32 is bent inwardly at an oblique angle, and terminates opposite the upper edge of fla-nge 7. In use the flange 31 fitsbetween the strip 2 and the flange 10 of member 5, holdf ing the face plate 29 in engagement with the front edges of walls 8 and 9 and its lower edge 32 inside the flange 7 of the backing member. This permits a separate floor mould strip 33, preferably made of bronze or other metal more dura-ble than steel, to be attached to flange 7. This floor mould strip 33 has its bottom edge 34 doubled back upon itself to provide a stiff floor engaging edge, and its upper edge bent back upon itselfl to provide a downturned flange 35, the lower edge 36 of which is bent outwardly at an acute angle. This provides a groove 37 adapted to receive the flange 7 of the backing member, and as groove 37` is relativel deep, considerable adjustment of mou d strip 33 can be /had to accommodate floor coverings of different thicknesses. The

Iout-turned edge 28 of flange 7 facilitates the entry of flange 35 of the mould strip 33 between the flange 7 and the plate 2 9. The oblique edge 36 at the lower edge of the flange 35 facilitates the entry of the flange 7 into the gr0ove`37 of the mould. The oblique lower edge 32 of the face plate 29 serves to guide the lovve` end of the plate 29 behind the flange 7 in-assembly. When interlocked these parts are under spring. tension, but can be readily separated by merely raising and unhooking'` the face platesections.

v' What I claim is y 1. A metalbase-board member having .a horizontal wall provided with vertically extending prongs adapted to be forcedV uption extending vertically mesmo anchor said member to a wall, supplemental fastening means at the base of said member, and a face-plate detachably connected with and Suspended from the top of said member.

4. A metal base-board member having j sharpened p-rojectionsadapted to be forced into a wall and upwardly-extending flanges at its top and bottom sides, and a metal face plate having hook portions at its to and bottom edges adapted to be detachab y engaged with said flanges.

5. A metal base-board member of trough shape having sharpened projections extending upwardly at its rear and a flange porin front of said projections, and a meta face-plate having a hook portion adapted to be detaehably connected with said flange portion.

6. The combination with a wall; of a hollow sheet metal base-board having an upper edge portion bent outwardly at an oblique angle, and a cover plate having an integral moulding at its upper end and provided with a hook shaped flange engageable with said upper edge portion.

7. The combination with a wall; of a sheet-metal member secured to said wall adjacent the floor, said member having a relatively long upwardly-extending flange spaced apart from the wall; and a face plate having a relatively long hook portion extending downwardly over said flange and slidable vertically thereon to facilitate vertical adjustments of the face plate in respect to the floor.

8. A base-board comprising a sheet metal conduit member adapted to be secured to the wall, said member having division Walls projecting outwardly from the rear Wall thereof and upturned flanges at its top and bottom, and a face plate having downturned flanges at its top and bottom adapted to hook said plate upon said member in engagement withthe division walls thereof.

9. A base-board comprising a sheet metal backing member adapted to 'be secured to the wall, said backing member having a horizontal bottom portion terminating in an upwardly extending flange, a horizontal top portion bent back upon itself and terminating in an upwardly extending flange intermediate the rear and front edges thereof, and an intermediate horizontal wall, and a cover platey having its lower edge portion bent into hook form and its upper edge portion formed' to provide a moulding terminating in a hook portion, said hook p0rtions of said cover plate being engageable with the upwardly extending flanges of the backing member.

10. The combination with a wall having a wooden strip in the face thereof above the floor, of a base-board interposed between said strip and the floor, said base-board having ka shoulder portion engageable with the bottom side of said strip and pron s extending upwardly therefrom adapte to enter the strip.

11. The combination with a wall; of a wood strip therein projecting in overhanging relation to the wall, and a hollow sheet metal base-board interposed between said strip and the floor having a shoulder engageable with the underside of said strip, said shoulder having vertical prongs adapted -to be forced into said base strip, said base-board having a moulding portion above Said shoulder covering the outer face of said base strip.

12. The combination with a wall having a wood strip therein projecting outwardly from the face thereof above the floor; of a hollow-sheet-metal base-board interposed between said strip and the floor having a shoulder engageable with the underside of said strip and prongs adapted to be forced into said base strip; and wedges interposed etween the bottom of said base-board and .oor.

13. A metallic base-board, comprising a sheet-metal backing member adapted to be secured to a wall having adjacent its upper edge an outwardly-extending portion Vformed by bending the metal outwardly and back upon itself and thence upwardly to form a retaining flange; a cover plate having its upper portion bent inwardly in the form of a moulding and terminating in a downturned flange engageable with said retaining flange; and means for securing the lower edge portion of said cover plate to said backing member.

14. In a metallic base-board, la sheet metal backing member having a bod p0rtion adapted to rest against the wal and a horizontal ortion at its bottom side having a flange ent vertically upward therefrom, and a horizontal portion at the to side of said member bent outwardly and back upon itself and thence upwardly inter- 'mediate the front and rear edges thereof.

15. In a metallic base-board, a backing member comprising adsingle strip of sheet metal, `the lower port1on of which is bent Aoutwardly and upwardly to provide a vertical flange at the front side of said member, the intermediate portion of said strip being bent outwardly and backy upon itself to form a longitudinal division-wall, the upper edge portion of said strip being bent outwardly and back upon itself part way to form a horizontal rib and upwardly to form a vertical flange intermediate the rear and front sides of said member.

16. The combination with a wallhavin a wooden base strip adjacent the bottom o the wall; of a base-board consisting of a sheet-metal backing member clamped betweensaid base strip and the floor, said upper end and provided with a hook shaped backing member having a plurality of spaeflange engageable with said backing meming ribs projecting outwardly beyond said ber flange. v base strip and provided with a vertical In testimony whereof I aix my signature flange having an upper edge portion bent to this specification.

outwardly at an oblique angle, and a cover plate having an integral moulding at its JACOB BUHR. 

